BALI 100 KM (Book 1) ✔

Chapter 38

"Sukhi, aye Sukhi, are you in there?" a voice bellowed from outside.

Sukhi wiped her face to remove all traces of tears and rushed to the door to answer the call.

"What is it, Rama?" Sukhi stepped out and inquired.

"Saw no one out in the veranda for a long time, so I was worried. It's gotten dark, and you still hadn't lit the bulb outside. Nothing to worry I hope."

Time had fled fast when they were mourning. Bandu looked at his mother, lost in her thoughts. He had to nudge her for attention.

"But I have not lost you at least. I am thankful to god for that. But how did you escape?"

Sukhi returned, closing the door behind her. She sat beside her mother to hear out Bandu's remaining narration of his escape.

"Unfortunately, one of the men alerted my presence to the others, and with a menacing hatred, they started to chase after me. Fathers' voices boomed in my head out of nowhere to run, so I turned around and ran.

"How far will you run, I will find you and wring your neck like a chicken. Hahahahah..........catch him, you fools." I heard one of them scream after me.

"Without turning back, I ran for my life on my bloodied soles. I kept on running on the road towards the railway station, and once I was on the platform, I hopped on the running train that was leaving the platform. I curled myself under the seat in the empty compartment trembling with fear. As the train picked up speed, I closed my eyes crying out my loss in silence. Sleep came unknown to me. When I got up, it was in a new place and among unfamiliar people. From there on, my new journey as an orphan began, left with only memories of my brutally massacred family to haunt me for the rest of my days. I never stayed at one place for long in fear of being identified and kept on traveling. Goriyon was the only place that I have stayed for long,"

"But how did you both escape the fire, mother?" Bandu asked, suddenly realizing how he had mistakenly concluded his mother and sister to have perished in the fire.

"That's a long story, my son and I have no energy to relive that horrible incident now. Maybe after I have mourned your father's death, I will be able to tell you everything. Till then, your mother requests you not to remind her of that incident." she said and became silent again.

"Why do you still feel the need to run Maan?" Sukhi asked.

"Recently, I have come across a person who seems to know about my past. I am not sure if that person has mistaken me for someone else until such time the doubt gets cleared, my life hangs in peril," Bandu explained.

"Oh! Then what do you plan to do?"

"I haven't decided yet. Also, I am tied up with some problems and don't think I can leave from here that soon,"

It didn't take a lot of convincing on their part to make Bandu stay back with them for the day. For Bandu, it was yet to sink in that he found his lost family and secretly feared it was a dream which would shatter once he was awake.

His niece took a liking to him now. But he was very unhappy with their state of living, on little money and scarcity of food. Bandu decided to wait until morning to mention Balwant.

The news of Nand's return brought the neighbors' to their doorstep. While some reprimand him for running away, others were happy to see him back, especially his little playmates. Mother introduced Bandu to them as the person who took care of Nand and bought him home. They were full of praises for him, and the elders blessed him. One of the neighbors offered him a bed at his house for the night. After dinner, Bandu left to sleep at the neighbor's house accompanied by Nand.

The next day after breakfast, he was ready to confront his mother about moving back with him to Goriyon.

"I believe myself very fortunate to have met with my lost family and want to keep us together, so mother and Sukhi, please accompany me to Goriyon," he put forth to his mother.

"But you will be on the move again as you said." she pointed out.

"That was only when I believed there was truly some danger, but as of now, I am not sure, and of course, you will all come with me where ever I go. I will not desert my family for any reason. And about moving, I cannot leave yet for some reason," he replied, setting her mind at ease.

"But what about Sukhi's husband, Balwant? He might return someday. Only a faint hope, though," mother raised another hurdle which even Bandu wanted to cross over.

"Yes, brother," Sukhi entered the conversation coming from the kitchen, "I know about him being in prison for his bad ways. He has now committed murder too," she said, letting out a deep sigh. Bandu wanted to comfort her but didn't know what to say. His association with Balwant would be a big blow to her.

"He was good with us and loved us, but his friendship with Rana led him to ruin. I don't know what to do now. I have not seen him for six-seven months now. The police occasionally barge in to question us about him and embarrass us in front of our neighbors',"

Bandu was in dilemma whether to tell his sister about Balwant or not. But to take them away with him, he would have to relate the truth.